Top 5 Reasons You Should Be Using Google Trends in 2022

What if I told you I had real-time access to exactly what your customers are thinking every single day? I could tell you when and how your customers were thinking about your product, where and what problems your customers need solved. Despite what you may be thinking, I’m not psychic or a member of the NSA. However I am a user of Google Trends. 

Whether you're a news publisher, e-commerce business, social media influencer, or dog trainer- Google Trends is a powerful tool. From trend forecasting to learning what people are searching for in the now, leveraging these insights in creative ways for your brand will help elevate any marketing strategy.

You can do it too! Looking at Google Search trend data can help you…

• Position your content

• Stay at the forefront of seasonal and daily trends

• Find new topics, underserved communities 

• Determine if your service solves a consumer need

• Analyze where your product could succeeded 

And MUCH, much more!

Google Trends is a free tool that can provide insight into what users are searching daily, weekly, monthly, yearly- you name it! Break down trends by geographic location, time frames, category, industry, and even type of search! Learn more about customer behavior, potential growth opportunities, and more by using Google Trends today.

In summary: If you’re not using Google Trends, you’re missing opportunities.

To learn more about Google Trends keep an eye out for my series ‘Growth Hacking With Google Trends’.

Highly-Crafted: The nature of Instagram's effect on users' sense of self-worth and body image.

Launched in October of 2010, Instagram has become a central part of today's culture and an everyday staple for people worldwide. Despite its original mission statement, "to capture and share the world’s moments" (Krieger, 2010)  the famed social media app has evolved to hold deeper cultural significance.  An app once meant to share life's moments has begun to impact users in more meaningful ways.  Instagram has become a platform that has grown to influence users' general self-perception, something the majority of consumers chose to ignore. People like to think their self-image is solely constructed by their self-perceptions. With platforms that allow for carefully crafted personas, people are losing control of the lenses used to guide their self-perception. This loss of control is wreaking havoc on how they view their relationship with themselves. The highly curated nature of Instagram affects user’s self-image negatively because it promotes unrealistic and unattainable expectations. This matters because realizing the impact of the “ Instagram highlight reel” is essential to addressing the epidemic surrounding negative self-image and mental health disorders associated with the platform. Multiple studies have found the impact of viewing highly crafted, manipulated, and thin-ideal content increases overall body dissatisfaction and negative self-view for large numbers of (primarily female) users of the platform (Cohen 2017). Using multiple in-depth studies on the effect of Instagram on women's self-perception and body image I will explain how the highly curated nature of Instagram can be destructive to a person's self-perception. 

Firstly, as a means of determining why the platform has such a profound impact on users' self-perceptions, it's important to understand the motivations behind the use of a platform. With over 90 percent of college women in the United States reporting some form of body dissatisfaction (Baker 2019, 277),  it’s a surprise that the most active content sharers on Instagram are this same demographic group- making Instagram the second most popular social media app in the world to date. This issue here is that as the largest solely image-based social platform, Instagram’s focus on appearance-based content has led to a higher percentage of body image concerns than other social platforms such as Facebook (Baker 2019, 279). So why keep using Instagram? Simply put Instagram is a drug. Like a drug, the unpredictability of the number of likes an Instagram post will receive on top of the dopamine release that is associated with receiving likes keeps users on the platform despite any negative feelings that it may foster (Yates 2017). With a focus on likes as the primary measurement on Instagram (as opposed to other metrics such as followers or comments),  users tend to see Instagram as an extension of themselves. If a post doesn’t perform as well as expected, users can be prone to feelings of disappointment and even shame regarding poor performance (Wong 2019). Users have been known to take down posts due to poor performance (Wong 2019). The key here is that the fundamentals of the app are no longer focused on sharing content to share, but rather the platform has become a popularity contest that attempts to weigh a user's relevance and social status among peers. Thus lending the platform to become what it is now- a carefully crafted “highlight reel” wreaking havoc on users' mental health. 

Across the board, images that represent societal standards such as thin-ideal content perform better on Instagram than other content. A 2018 study came to suggest that maybe a user's self-perception and self-worth are more influenced by the actual content being shown rather than just the social value measured by the number of likes a post has (Tiggemann 2018,  90). “When an image with a high like count and that held societal standards (thin/ideal body types) was shown, women were more body-conscious and body-negative than when shown an “average” image with the same number of likes” (Tiggemann 2018,  90). The key here being that societal approval measured in likes is not the only dictator of what content is viewed as desirable, there are multiple different factors to take into account when considering why Instagram has such a profound impact on users' sense of self. 

The extreme attention to perfection in content published on the platform has segmented content’s impact into three main parts. First is the type of content being shared (thin-ideal, body-positive, manipulated, etc.). Next metrics such as likes, followers, comments, and relationship to the content is central to how content impacts the users’ sense of self and self-worth. Unlike traditional media sources, Instagram is a more personal form of media. The content user consumes is more often shared by close connections such as peers, colleagues, and family. Content shared by people with a closer relationship to the user feels more real and attainable (Fardouly 2017, 1384). With a shift towards manipulation of content across the board with apps like Facetune and Picsart, it’s easier than ever to make your life look like a movie. When everyone has the ability to put on a perfectly crafted feed of happiness it changes the user’s view as “the norm”. 

Unlike celebrity content which is still seen as more unrealistic, peer content is seen as more attainable. The higher the degree of separation the less likely a user will be to compare themselves as harshly as they would with a closer connection that is similar to themselves (Brown 2016, 39). When a user’s network is sharing “ideal” content it calls to question why their content or life isn’t up to that standard they see shown. In reality, what’s expressed on social media is only a peek into a larger book of stories that can’t fully encompass the human experience- thus a biased source for comparison in the first place. People have a natural drive for comparison, it's just a part of human nature (Fardouly 2017, 1380). While in each case users will ultimately make these comparisons to others, Instagram specifically functions as a platform to highlight these differences and create comparisons solely on an image basis. In an overly curated social space, a quick look into a carefully selected window of someone's life can change a person's perception of how their body and life is “supposed” to be.

The app’s focus on only showcasing the best moments has created this always-on pressure to be perfect all the time because the way certain content is showcased makes perfection look achievable. Feelings of body dissatisfaction, self-consciousness, and disordered eating are more prevalent in Instagram users because of this (Cohen 2017, 185). These unrealistic expectations promoting the thin-ideal standard and societal perceptions of perfection has resulted in increased manipulation of content- to the point where some images being shared just aren’t physically possible. The impact on users' self-view shouldn’t be ignored. Internal pressure to reach these societal standards coupled with Instagram’s constant stream of new content that promotes and reaffirms these destructive standards can result in a deterioration of mental health and a negative self-body image overall. One clear cut example of this is Instagram model Alexis Ren. After years of posting thin-ideal content on the platform in 2017 Ren opened up about the reality of her lifestyle- she had been facing anorexia and eating disorders for years (Falzone 2017). Explaining that her massive Instagram following only worsened these issues, creating the idea in her mind that her body was the only reason people liked her (Falzone 2017). 

A 2016 study found a positive correlation between lower self-esteem and the viewing of manipulated content, yet when given a choice between natural and manipulated content the most popular content was also always the manipulated content (Kleemans 2016,  93). This dangerous correlation highlights how Instagram is setting unrealistic standards and making them seem attainable as well as preferred over reality. This thin-ideal media discourse is further pushed through the function of the platform as it appeals to audiences already predisposed to an image-conscious mentality. Thus a higher correlation between self-conscious tendencies and body image concerns can be linked to the use of Instagram in the first place (Cohen 2017, 185). The highly curated nature of Instagram that emphasizes and encourages the production and promotion of thin-ideal content is another major factor affecting users' sense of self-worth.

Across the board, social media platforms like Instagram are known to promote and reinforce stereotypical beauty standards such as thin-ideal content. These impossible standards set by this manipulated, unrealistic or unhealthy content are often used as guides to help women determine their self-perception (Baker 2019,  277). One example of this on Instagram in the fitspiration movement. While the goal of the movement is to promote positive body image and health, in reality, the most popular content remains to be the thin-ideal content that shows toned and “perfect” bodies. “It says- yes be happy in your body but change it there's more you can do to be perfect” (Slater 2017,  89).  Even the content produced on Instagram that is aimed at being real and attainable is still highly curated and is often not representative of the majority of the population. 

While it’s shown that exposure to content (either body positive or thin-ideal) indicates an increase in self-objectification across the board, a 2019 study suggests that the lens through which users self-analyzed changed and users were more likely to be less self-critical after viewing body positive content than with thin-ideal content (Cohen 2019,  1552). This brings back the idea that the type of content and format in which the content is being shared changes its impact. When the content shared is overly curated or holds up to thin-ideal and societal standards it increases self-objectification and lowers users' perceived self-worth. The structure of the platform leads women to base their self-perception on how others interact with what they share and how others perceive them in social spaces (Baker 2019,  277).

 Self-identification and seeing familiar content displayed on social media that is relatable and familiar is important in developing a healthy self-image. When users don’t see themselves represented in content it makes them question if their image is something abnormal or unwanted in society. With body image, in particular, this can be detrimental to a user's positive view of their self-worth. Cluttering social media with highly curated, unrelatable thin-ideal content only further promotes negative self-view among users. The stories social media tells about society and the images Instagram showcases help represent how people view the world and work to represent culture at a higher level. When these social messages don’t align with realistic societal expectations and only come to represent unattainable goals, it impacts how users value and perceive other people and ourselves (Boboltz 2017). A heavy focus on appearance allows the Instagram platform to hold more responsibility in helping shape our self-narrative than other similar platforms in the social media space. 

The general population finds today's social media content harder to relate because it’s not reflective of the general population. Many studies have examined how current media is not reflective of the average user, grossly under-representing some segments of the population and over glorifying others. One prime example of this is the under-representation of overweight persons in media. Most media today primarily showcases models whose physical appearance fits closely within the thin-ideal beauty standard. Because shared content on social media over-represents the thin-ideal standard, it has created false perceptions of what the “new normal” is. When in reality, the images depicted are unhealthy and unattainable standards for the majority of the population. Studies have shown that the Body Mass Index of many models is lower than suggested for that of a healthy person- indicators so low they suggest disordered eating habits (Oldham 2017). Meaning the images that society views as “ideal” are promoting unhealthy lifestyles and body types. Platforms like Instagram allow for brands and thin-ideal users to highlight this content and conscious users to manipulate their own to fit into this idealized view of the thin-ideal standard. By interacting with this content it promotes the future idealization of the need to be “skinny” and “fit” translating to higher overall body dissatisfaction and even clinical body image disorders. 

Overall, Instagram as a social media monarch plays a large role in influencing how many people today receive and devour content. While many users may reject the idea that Instagram is impacting (consciously or unconsciously) the way they perceive themselves, as creatures of comparison the apps highly curated nature is changing the way users both represent and perceive themselves whether they like it or not. The highly curated nature of Instagram affects user’s self-image negatively because it promotes unrealistic and unattainable expectations. This matters because realizing the impact of the “ Instagram highlight reel” is essential to addressing the epidemic surrounding negative self-image and mental health disorders associated with the platform. Using multiple studies to support this, I believe Instagram can be destructive to a person's self-perception and sense of self-worth due to the unrealistic expectations its highly-curated nature promotes. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Baker, Nicole, Ginette Ferszt, and Juliana G. Breines. “A Qualitative Study Exploring Female College Students' Instagram Use and Body Image.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, vol. 22, no. 4, 2019, pp. 277–282. 

2. Boboltz, Sara, and Kimberly Yam. “Why On-Screen Representation Actually Matters.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 24 Feb. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/why-on-screen-representation-matters_n_58aeae96e4b01406012fe49d.

3. Cohen, Rachel, Jasmine Fardouly, Toby Newton-John, Amy Slater. “#BoPo on Instagram: An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Viewing Body Positive Content on Young Women’s Mood and Body Image.” New Media & Society, vol. 21, no. 7, 2019, pp. 1546–1564.

4. Cohen, Rachel, Toby Newton-John, Amy Slater. “The Relationship between Facebook and Instagram Appearance-Focused Activities and Body Image Concerns in Young Women.” Body Image, vol. 23, 2017, pp. 183–187.

5. Falzone, Diana. “'I Felt like My Body Was the Only Reason Why People Liked Me'.” NewsComAu, Fox News, 29 May 2017, www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/instagram-model-alexis-ren-reveals-how-fame-led-to-her-eating-disorder/news-story/cdb748e4b6ee1c0d4c74dabc518f7f53.

6. Fardouly, Jasmine,  Brydie K Willburger, Lenny R Vartanian. “Instagram Use and Young Women’s Body Image Concerns and Self-Objectification: Testing Mediational Pathways.” New Media & Society, vol. 20, no. 4, Apr. 2017, pp. 1380–1395.

7. Kleemans, Mariska, Serena Daalmans, Ilana Carbaat, Doeschka Anschütz. “Picture Perfect: The Direct Effect of Manipulated Instagram Photos on Body Image in Adolescent Girls.” Media Psychology, vol. 21, no. 1, 2016, pp. 93–110.

8. Krieger, Mike. “Instagram Launches.” Instagram, 11 Jan. 2017, instagram-press.com/blog/2010/10/06/instagram-launches-2/.

9. Oldham, Melissa. “How the Media Shapes Our Cultural Ideals of Body Shape.” Culture Matters, www.culturematters.org.uk/index.php/culture/tv/item/2524-how-the-media-shapes-our-cultural-ideals-of-body-shape.

10. Slater, Amy, Neesha Varsani, Phillippa C.Diedrichs. “#Fitspo or #Loveyourself? The Impact of Fitspiration and Self-Compassion Instagram Images on Women’s Body Image, Self-Compassion, and Mood.” Body Image, vol. 22, 2017, pp. 87–96.

11. Tiggemann, Marika, Susannah Hayden, Zoe Brown, Jolanda Veldhuis. “The effect of Instagram 'likes' on women’s social comparison and body dissatisfaction.” Body Image, Vol 26, Sep, 2018. pp. 90-97.

12. Tiggemann, Marika, Ksenia Zinoviev. “The effect of  #enhancement-free Instagram images and hashtags on women’s body image” Body Image, Vol 31, Dec. 2019, pp. 131-138

13. Wong, Brittany. “Instagram Is Testing A Feature That May Actually Improve Mental Health.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 10 May 2019, www.huffpost.com/entry/instagram-hiding-likes-mental-health_l_5cd092d3e4b0548b735e50bc.

14. Yates, Eames. “What Happens to Your Brain When You Get a like on Instagram.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 25 Mar. 2017, www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-to-your-brain-like-instagram-dopamine-2017-3.

The Rise of Micro Influencers, A Move Towards Authenticity?

Edelman’s Digital Trends Report for 2019 discusses the importance of influencing with impact, working to increase engagement through real and authentic brand partnerships. Not every influencer is the right fit for a brand. To properly utilize influencer marketing, a brand needs to work with influencers in the right target markets for their audiences. An authentic brand relationship often starts with a “warm” audience- an audience who is already asking a question but has yet to find the answer. The goal of the brand is to provide an answer or product to consumers that delivers what the company is promising while holding true to company values and not misrepresenting information. Thus allowing an influencer to educate their following on the options available and why they are valuable rather than a straight sell.  Influencer marketing allows brands to target audiences that are already part-way through the buyer's journey, utilizing these "warm" audiences resulting in more effective marketing campaigns and higher conversion rates. Often utilizing these micro-influencers keeps CAC low and results in higher brand awareness and affinity, making it a popular choice for brands in today's increasingly media-based markets. 

 BarkBox is one prime example of a company dedicated to creating and finding authentic influencers as part of their brand marketing strategy. The small D2C e-commerce and content company works to create meaningful customer impressions through heavy utilization of these micro-influencers. By finding influencers in the pet space with small yet highly active and dedicated followings, BARK targets its prime customer base from an authentic and trustworthy perspective. Who better to trust than another dog lover? Micro-Influencers are particularly effective in the pet space because when it comes to our pets, safety and health is always a concern. Pet owners are solely responsible for making the right decisions for their animals. It’s all on the human's shoulder to protect and take care of their furry friends because frankly- you can’t pitch to a dog. 

As a subscription box BARK relies heavily on customer loyalty- needing its customers to continually renew subscriptions, upgrade packages, and participate in promotions. With customer loyalty being at the forefront of a subscription-based brand, BARKS marketing relies heavily on organic and earned media traffic. Real and authentic promotions are essential to the long term success of the company.  With such a heavy emphasis on Social Media Marketing for brand promotion, it's important that BARK's paid brand partners don't seem inauthentic. If every promotional post about the brand oversells or seems fake, it puts questions in the customer's mind about the actual quality or appeal of the product.  With a highly loyal customer base BARK often gets a lot of unpaid/unsolicited promotion, making it all the more important to choose authentic paid influencers to keep up a credible social media strategy. This being one of the main reasons I choose BARK as an example of a business focused on driving real value with authentic influencers.

Another reason I choose BARK as a prime example of the move towards authentic and accountable influencer marketing is because of my first-hand experience watching BARK work to maximize their ROI on influencer campaigns. As an SEO and content marketing intern in their NYC headquarters, I spent the summer sitting in on weekly growth team and marketing meetings. In these meetings, the BARK teams covered the importance of maximizing influencer assets to increase conversion rates and overall awareness. As a startup company in the peak of digital media marketing, BARK has worked to roll out an influencer strategy that targets specific brand objectives and carefully measures ROI for every campaign. For these reasons, I believe BARK is a great example of the influencer trend in use. 

The Nintendo Switch: Exploring the CDJ and Moments of Truth

THE NINTENDO SWITCH 

“The Consumer Decision Journey”  (self-reinforcing loop)

1. In the initial consideration set, the consumer considers their initial options. Nintendo’s main competition for the switch is primarily the Xbox one and PS4. When looking at the Switch the consumer also analyzes the rest of the market for similar products.

The role of a Digital Marketer in the consideration stage is to make sure when people search for the “best portable gaming console” Nintendo’s switch is the first thing that pops up. This can be done through the utilization of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques. Curating a large profile of a combination of paid, owned, and earned media to increase brand visibility in the gaming space is essential to this as well. By increasing a brand’s overall awareness/profile will make marketing the specific product easier and get the product into the consumer’s initial consideration set. 

1. During Active Evaluation consumers add or subtract brands and evaluate what they want, with the Nintendo Switch this process probably includes googling comparisons/video reviews of the product, watching videos of gamers using the device, reading reviews, and cross analyzing the product to other major video game consoles. 

One opportunity for Digital Marketers at this point in the framework is to work to increase consumer brand interaction. Spark a conversation around the Switch. Hire influencers to film active use of the product, incentivize users to leave reviews of the product, work to get your product promoted on social/strong social profiles with high engagement. Its the role of the Digital Marketer to provide the consumer with the tools to help them evaluate your product. 

1. The consumer selects a brand at the moment of purchase. So at this point, the customer has probably tried out a few gaming options and decided the Nintendo Switch’s interface and portable nature are the right fit for them. It’s the Digital Marketers’ role to set this in stone.

One role of a Digital marketer at this point is to make the process simple. Don’t make the customer jump through hoops to make the purchase, make it simple. Make the buying process an enjoyable one. The user experience should be enjoyable and interactive- to keep the customer in the loyalty loop it's important to have more than one touchpoint. 

1. The Post-purchase experience occurs after purchase- the consumer builds expectations based on experience to inform the next decision journey. For the Switch, this means continued interaction and positive interaction within the Nintendo interface.

Touchpoints become particularly important in the post-purchase experience. To make the interaction more than just transactional (and to create brand loyalty) it’s important to continue to interact with the customer after the initial purchase. For a Digital Marketer, this could be a series of email cadences, a QR code that unlocks something extra after purchase, and more.

Moments of Truth/“Pivoting Points of Time” - Key moments that define an experience.

1. Zero Moment of Truth - Describes the moments of brand integration before a consumer is physically facing a product or service (search)

The ZMOT is before the active search process, it’s the online journey when users are in contact with a brand before they’ve decided they’re looking to purchase something.  Creating brand awareness and visibility is essential in this step.

For the Switch, Social media ads are a great way to reach out to the tech-savvy audience the Switch would target. As well as creating relevant/shareable content that helps it pop up organically in news feeds (potential articles about its innovative design or the continuing relevance of Nintendo's gaming platforms).

1. The First Moment of Truth - First time you engage, touch, or face the physical product for the first time 

This is where Digital Marketing plays the largest role. SEO plays a huge role in creating those first impressions and making sure a product is seen first. Working to rank the best and most relevant content when a consumer looks to answer a question about Switch is key.  Knowing and targeting these key terms is the main role a Digital Marker would play. In the case of the Nintendo Switch, some high-value commerce keywords could be “best portable gaming device”, “portable video games”, “handheld gaming”,” Nintendo games.” 

1. The Actual Moment of Truth (the one 1/2 moment)- The moment between when you first see it and when you actually use it, how does the product get to you?

As a Digital Marketer, an email updating the user on tracking the package or including details of the product post-purchase can be effective. In the Switches case, it could be cool to allow the device to live track itself and send update texts to the user. 

1. The Second Moment of Truth - First time you use a product 

This step is key in the convert customers from a one-time transaction to a brand loyal consumer. 

An email cadence following up a purchase with more information on the products/tips and tricks/popular games would be an effective Digital Marketing strategy for the Switch. Providing information to your audience that helps customers learn how to use or even return products is useful. Keep up the customer support even after purchase.

1. The Third (or Ultimate) Moment of Truth -First time you talk about a product after you use it (review)

At this point, a Digital Marketer needs to make the review process as easy as possible for the consumer. Encourage the consumer to continue to interact with the product/brand and give feedback/share their experience.

For the Switch, a Digital Marketer should encourage multi-platform brand interaction offering opportunities to interact with the brand on social, web, internal interface, amazon, and other various platforms to help re-affirm brand loyalty.

Personal Branding: Why and How

Personal branding is the “Business of People”, it’s the act of establishing and promoting what you stand for. This unique marketing strategy focuses on YOU as a product - it is your reputation and the combination of your personal attributes that differentiate you from others. A strong personal brand helps in building confidence while gaining trust, authenticity, and originality with your audience. Personal branding is establishing yourself in a marketplace, making you more competitive in that market. Personal branding is NOT just self-promotion, it’s a process of defining who you are and the type of person you want to be -- it shapes perception of your leadership style, work ethic, and personality.
 
The use of personal branding allows you to develop a unique personal identity provoking deeper connection with your audience and setting yourself apart from competitors. This skill is one that can be utilized and helpful in both professional and social settings. A strong personal brand helps differentiate you from the rest of the marketplace. Crafting a following, maintaining a brand identity on a personal scale, and audience relations are all key aspect in personal branding. Identify your uniqueness and strengths - everyone has them it’s your job to find them. People become passionate about passionate people, the more passion you share the more enthusiasm you’ll receive. Market yourself as you’d market a product. A product may be revolutionary, but without the right branding, it can become irrelevant.

STEPS TO PERSONAL BRANDING

1. Identify your target audience

2. Determine your vision and purpose

3. Determine your values

4. Determine your passions

5. Determine your goals

6. Determine your brand attributes

7. Determine your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

8. Determine your competition

9. Identify three words that best describe you

10. Audit yourself

Featured on: Miami University PRSSA Blog

What is Content Marketing?

Ever wonder why one of Spotify's premium subscription features offers to get rid of advertisements? It’s because today we want our content, and we want it now. How often do you view the commercials on that new episode of your favorite TV show as a fun thing? Well, content marketing is today's attempt to change that.

Content marketing is a specific long-term marketing strategy aimed at providing relevant high-quality content to foster a strong relationship with specific target audiences. Today content marketing is taking the world by storm because of its simple, effective, low-cost approaches to PR/Marketing. Seen as more effective than traditional marketing, content marketing is a more specific way of targeting an audience. Often the audience reached is already looking for what's offered, so they’re already 60% sold. 

Content marketing utilizes both content creators and influences to build its strategy and execute marketing agendas. Content creators are responsible for creating, curating, editing, and managing content. Whereas influencers are the individuals who have the power to affect the purchase decisions of others. Examples of influencers include celebrities, bloggers, and industry experts.

Semiotics in Marketing

Today social media has taken over.

Any college student could tell you the in’s and out’s of Instagram, what it means to “retweet” or how to get to the “beach vibes” filter on Snapchat. A cell phone is all you need to become a social media expert overnight.

 In the digital age, we spend so much time scrolling that we don't notice the hidden messages and symbols in every post. When you start focusing on the connotation of symbols in ads versus the literal meaning, you see how ads can subconsciously influence the ways we think and perceive things.

The study of this is called semiotics - the study of signs. Semiotics is used to analyze how our system of conceptualizing shapes the way we view things. Metaphors being a tool to engage the consumer and influence their perception. Marketers utilize semiotics to help reach their target audience and learn how to sell to/shape their behavior. This insight is particularly useful when marketing to niche markets. With a specific idea of how a consumer will read and interpret your message, marketers gain an understanding of how their message should be crafted. Thus allowing marketers to alter their ads and introduce subliminal messages that the viewer doesn't always realize are even there. 

ON THE HUNT: The Race To Release

They search for the story, we yearn for the facts -- yes, I'm talking about journalists and consumers. With today's competitive media market it’s a rush as to who can produce the most interesting and fact-filled story, as quickly as possible. The first source to break the story is often the story that gets the most traction, whether the story is true or not. Despite this, reporters need to hold themselves responsible for continuous self-assessment and commitment to the truth. With a strong individual commitment to accountability and accuracy -by making sure the information presented is factual before producing a story- reporters could change the current journalistic scene. Poor sourcing can be the downfall of any story or journalist. If a source is not truthful or trustworthy one story can destroy the reputation of a reporter - or worse a whole media source entirety. Reliable sourcing is key to producing a good story, as said by Fred Friendly, “if your first no one will ever remember if you're wrong - no one will ever forget.” Personally, I believe the past five years has only made the rush to press worse. It’s more common today to see a story with improper or incorrect sourcing/information than ever before. With the plethora of media, we have access to it’s a constant race to get information out, I believe this is negatively impacting the quality of the media we receive and consume.

The Role of Public Relations In Politics

With election day passed and results totaled, it’s easy to see who had success in the midterm elections and who seemed to flounder. Now in the aftermath, it’s possible to look at what steps differentiated the successful campaigns from the failed.

One common thread in the successful midterm campaigns and the overall political field today is the necessity of a good public image and knowing how to manage it. With virtually 24/7 media coverage politicians are forced to always be on their toes. This is where the importance of public relations comes into play. With so much time spent in the public light, a well-crafted public image can be hard to accomplish.

In a campaign, public relations personnel are responsible for helping manage crisis situations, honing and defining messages, and upholding public standing. Maintaining a candidate's relationship with the public requires a multifaceted approach. The ability to utilize multimedia sources, “spin” situations, and craft a consistent message, are all necessary for the success of any public relations professional in politics.

With proper management, public relations is a tool that enhances awareness for the candidate and what they support, as well as maintaining the relationship between the candidate and citizens. Even if a candidate is new to the political sphere, a good public relations campaign can change the course of the campaign entirely.

Shadrick on Lawrence, ‘A Big Life In Advertising’

Author: Mary Wells Lawrence

Reviewer: Melissa Shadrick

Word Count: ​871
Reviewed by:​ Melissa Shadrick (Miami University)

In ​A Big Life In Advertising, renowned American advertising executive and the first female president of an advertising agency Mary Wells Lawrence shares her life's worth of experiences in the advertising industry. Lawrence's innovative efforts took the industry by storm, revolutionizing advertising culture from the 1960s through the late 1980s. Through the use of descriptive story-telling Lawrence attempts to share insights into her experience as an advertiser. The memoir itself aims at capturing the true nature of the industry in the 1960s, showcasing her impact on the change in industry culture. Highlighting her successes and failures to give the reader a glimpse into what it’s like to be in the field while also educating the reader on her background.

In her memoir Lawrence attributes her successes to her motivation and willingness to “stretch” herself, stating “You are supposed ​to stretch​ to everything that you are, you are supposed​to love with all your might, you are supposed to have a big life” (290). A seemingly common characteristic of success in the advertising industry -- or communications in general -- is the ability to put in the extra time, to “stretch” yourself, to prove worth through doing more than the next person. Consistently Lawrence expressed this mentality and as did those she deemed valuable in her staff. Lawrence herself approached advertising with a team and client-centered management style, this playing an important role in her success. Carefully nurturing and crafting a team of the hardest working talent pushed her to the top. It’s important to note that often the most valuable team members did not start from a place of intellectual superiority or experience, but they all shared one common trait - passion for the industry. Lawrence's overall point is that to withhold effort, not living life to the fullest is to be committed to mediocrity or failure. That success is a combination of creativity and hard work.

Communications today is competitive. The field is growing, technology is changing, and the bar is raising for what marks success. It's no longer just about a college education. It’s about internships, work experience, and work ethic. In the modern age, individual experience can be hard to acquire but when competing for jobs is something broadly found among applicants. This makes work ethic a key component in any push towards success in the field. This aspect of the field remains the same -- the more effort put in, the higher the return. The time and care Lawrence put into her clients, reading up on their interests and hobbies so she could relate to them and build their trust paid off. Always emphasizing the importance of offering the client something unique and valuable. As Lawrence says, “In my opinion, if you are not obsessive in the advertising business you will always work for someone else” (31).

Capturing the complex world of the advertising industry Lawrence's memoir navigates the hierarchical structures of advertising companies of the past. Acknowledging that in this field, it is essential to learn to operate under "uncertain circumstances" (10) and within different business structures. Consequently, the structure of the system Lawrence disliked -- and attempted to disrupt -- is still very much in place in some agencies today. Learning to function within and adapt to these structural changes is an invaluable skill in today's business culture. Agencies operate like finely tuned machines, all parts must work together cohesively. Working as a team -- toward a common goal, for a common goal. An agency is at its strongest when acting collaboratively. The ability to share and elaborate on ideas, get feedback, and utilize the strengths of your team is necessary for producing successful campaigns. The memoir highlights Lawrence's keen ability to find the best in her team, combining their talents to produce the most effective campaigns possible. Though not expressly stated, Lawrence showed these skills and insights into the industry through her experiences and stories of her time as a top advertising executive.

A Big Life In Advertising ​chronicles the advertising industry through the lens of Mary Wells Lawrence, a revolutionary player in shaping the business we know today. The organization of the memoir flows through the main points in Lawrence's career, effectively displaying her career in the industry as well as showing how the industry changed as time progressed. The format of the memoir tracks Lawrence's impact on advertising culture, making this memoir a valuable piece in representing advertising history. Though the memoir is formatted as a personal narrative and follows the life sequence of Mary Wells Lawrence, Lawrence presents a clear purpose and argues the point from beginning to end. Her purpose explicit -- as it says in the title, to live a big life. The memoir stays on target, constantly reiterating her primary thesis. Working to prove the importance of daring to be bold, putting blood, sweat, and tears into every aspect of life. Utilizing her personal experiences and expertise to provide evidence and relevance to the book. While the memoir lacked an aura of intellectual complexity, it succeeded in provoking thought. Each story held deeper meaning or valuable expertise. Due to the nature of the book, Lawrence's experiences sparked questions about the advertising industry and her personal life as well. Leaving the reader yearning to learn more.

Citation: ​Lawrence, Mary Wells. ​A Big Life In Advertising​. Touchstone; Reprint Edition, 2003.

A Struggle to Get Out​; The Collapsing Communities of Honduras

By Melissa Shadrick

OXFORD, OH -- ​Last Wednesday, Miami University guest lecturer Tomas Ayuso shared the harrowing tale of his exploration into dilemmas within the Honduran state.

Honduran native and photojournalist Tomas Ayuso presented his project “The Right To Grow Old” to students of Miami University in a stunning photo set and interactive lecture. The event hosted by the International Studies and Latin American Studies departments showcased his photographs of life and gang violence in Central America today. In the lecture given at Miami University’s famous Farmers School of Business, Ayuso explained why organized crime holds so much power within Honduran society.

Covering this series of issues, Ayuso specifically discussed the impact of organized crime within Honduras. That, the people of the collapsing communities of Honduras are seeking shelter across borders due to the overall instability of the nation. Ayuso opened his talk by describing the three factors he believed to be key in causing Honduran displacement - stating, political instability, crime, and climate change economic disposition as the three main factors in describing displacement.

The engaging visual presentation included photographs from Ayuso’s many travels abroad - specifically in Central America. When explaining the main issues of Honduras Ayuso explains, “Majority of Hondurans slide in the margins of society.” Then continued to pose the question as to why there is no Honduran form of Nelson Mandela. His answer? “If you raise your head even a little bit you get shot.” With this point, he continued to explain the oppressive nature of both the government and Honduran police.

Looking at Honduras it is hard to determine how bad the state of the nation really is from an outside perspective due to the closed-off nature of the Honduran government. In front of the students, Ayuso explained that the start of the issue stemmed from the right-wing party of Honduras attempting to double down as a means to continue to plunder the country. As a response, this triggered a mass mobilization of the people - responding with great violence - as an attempt to stop this. As a result, citizens stormed the Presidential Palace of Honduras. Honduran police attacked with batons, lives fire, and tear gas working to combat citizen protestors. Due to the nature of the attacks, the protests quickly turned violent. From his personal experience at the protest, Ayuso stated, “if you looked into the crowd you didn’t see any Honduran flags, it's become a one-party state.” The protest itself left Ayuso personally injured with a broken rib, that being just one of the many injuries received from his travels throughout

Honduras. The extent of the injuries ranging from rib fissures to kidnappings and being shot at. So - when commenting on the nature of the violence in Honduras as a whole Ayuso stated comically, “From what I understand Chicago has the worst gang violence in America...well, I’m here to tell you Honduras would make Chicago look like Sesame Street.”

When asked to explain why he believed the situation has not improved in Honduras Ayuso answered, “The political elite in Honduras are responsible for what's happening, the states and the institutions have a responsibility... Secondly, As long as the drug war happens there will be viable income for this to continue... As long as the U.S. has a cocaine problem, this issue will exist. Though despite a tremulous road, Ayuso pushed on dedicated to sharing the true story of the situation in Honduras. In the discussion portion, Ayuso addressed the reason behind the project stating, “I have a genetic predisposition to be intolerant towards injustice so I have a calling to go to these place “someone's gotta do it” Sometimes the people that go and tell these stories bring their biases with them.”

After the lecture, students hurried about the room discussing the lecture, highlighting key points, and reveling in the information just learned. Miami University junior, and political science major Jacob Harold stated, “I think the lecture brought interesting insight to a topic far from what Is usually in my immediate realm. This lecture isn’t something I’d usually attend but I was pleasantly surprised, Ayuso made me feel both compassion and fear for the Honduran nation...” when asked about the lecture.